Biosphere Reserves are figures created by UNESCO within the Man & Biosphere program, and can be defined as follows:

“learning and testing spaces for sustainable development” or “territories for sustainability”.

In these places on the planet, different perspectives are experienced to try to understand social, ecological and economic evolution, and social awareness towards a sustainable way of life is promoted. Ours is located in Bizkaia, in the Busturialdeo region and encompasses 19 of the 22 municipalities in the region.

Urdaibai was designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1984

With the Oka River at the center of this natural paradise, it becomes an estuary before entering the Cantauria Sea and creates a spectacular landscape full of human and animal life.

Urdaibai is made up of marshes surrounded by small hills and occupies an area of ​​about 23,000 hectares; To the south it borders with Mount Oiz; to the east, Arbolitz point; to the west, Cape Machitxa and to the north, the island of Izaro.

In addition to its natural wealth, Urdaibai is full of history, thanks to the contributions of the 45,000 inhabitants spread across 22 municipalities that have shaped the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve for 15,000 years. And thanks to popular movements, UNESCO named it a Biosphere Reserve. In 1968, following the developmental dynamic that had come from the previous century, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia at that time commissioned a project called “Special Plan for the use of the Mundaka estuary”, proposing a large project to dry and urbanize the land between Gernika and Mundaka.

This event united the residents of the region to fight against the destruction of the ecosystems of the Urdaibai estuary. For this reason, in 1984, the Basque Government presented a project to UNESCO to include the entire Oka River basin in the M&B program. At the end of that year it was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, and was renamed Urdaibai.

Urdaibai, being a Biosphere Reserve…

Urdaibai, being a Biosphere Reserve, must assume the following functions:

1. Conservation function: The cultural heritage that we have today in Urdaibai is the result of more than 15,000 years of coexistence between man and the environment. This is demonstrated, for example, by the Santimamiñe cave, the Ereñozar castle, the Basque language itself, the Gernika Tree or our rituals, customs and legends. In addition to this cultural heritage, we must also protect species, ecosystems and geological heritage. In fact, Urdaiba is home to important nature: 729 species of fauna, 821 species of flora, 86 habitats and 43 geological sites of interest.
   Además, cuenta con 3 Zonas de Especial Conservación (KBE) y una Zona de Especial Protección para las Aves (HBBE) en la Red Natura 2000. y eso para colmo, también tenemos humedales; El estuario del Oka es humedal RAMSAR desde 1993. También incluye 85 especies que están en peligro de desaparecer o son de interés para la Unión Europea.
   
2. Function for sustainable development: Biosphere Reserves are spaces for experimentation. Urdaibai is also an ideal laboratory to establish sustainable development models, export or test good practices. Therefore, to guarantee the future of young people, it is important to respect the services that ecosystems offer to human beings and promote sustainable socioeconomic development, promoting environmental research and education of the population. To fulfill the function of sustainable development, we have a Plan for Adaptation and Development of Socioeconomic Activities (JSEGE). This program is a tool for the development of the Urdaibai Law. Its main objective is to promote, guide and coordinate the activities of the productive sectors of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve.
3. Logistical support function: What is not known does not arouse interest or appreciation; Therefore, the purpose of this role is to promote research, environmental education and capacity development related to local, national and global conservation and sustainable development issues. It is based on research, scientific and technical data. These are especially useful for making decisions related to management and planning. Finally, the plan that responds to the objective of logistical support: it is the Interpretation, Research, Empowerment and Education Plan in the field of sustainable development of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. This document working on education for sustainable development in Urdaibai is the way to continue doing so. A path to follow for all the people who live, work and enjoy this interesting region.

Urdaibai Zoning

If we look at the zoning in Urdaibai, the Biosphere Reserve is organized as follows:

• SITE Zone: Covers the unique and most vulnerable ecosystems of Urdaibai (the estuary, the coast, the river, the Cantaurian fields and archaeological sites), and several, with the protection of the natural environment being a priority. These areas were classified as “special protection zones” in the EKZP, and urgently protected as zones in Urdaibai’s own Law 5/1989. There may be one more area of ​​the site, and in Urdaibai, more than the sea, there are four areas of special protection: the estuary area, the Cantaurian artadi and areas of archaeological interest (Santimamiñe, for example).
• CORE PROTECTION ZONE: What is the “protection zone” in EKZP? It covers areas of naturalistic and cultural interest, sensitive environmental systems or scarce natural resources (coasts, rivers and streams, wetlands, landscape). It is divided as follows: the coast; banks of rivers and streams; the artadi pitcher; natural trees; soils with high risk of erosion; and spaces of high naturalistic, landscape interest (territories with high visual and scenic deterioration) and historical interest (areas or places of buildings, facilities and complexes of historical-artistic and cultural-landscape interest).
• TRANSITION ZONE: These are the areas cataloged in the EKZP for agriculture, forestry, communal rural lands, rural areas and general systems.

Today, there are several laws and agreements in force that provide various protection measures for our Biosphere Reserve:

• Ramsar Convention (1993 World)
• Natura 2000 Network (European level 2013)
• East Kantauri Hydrological Plan (state level)
• LAW 5/1989, of July 6, on the Protection and Management of the Biosphere-Environment of Urdaibai.